Sometimes the thought of cooking is just too much. Looking for somewhere delicious and inexpensive to take a date, your parents, your friends, yourself? If you’re looking for a Greenville budget dinner, there’s plenty of places near the BJU campus to choose from. Here’s a list of great Greenville-based restaurants for those nights you want to treat yourself without breaking the bank.
Pita House
Website: pitahousesc.com
Monday–Saturday:
Grocery and Deli: 8 a.m.–9 p.m.
Restaurant: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Pita House serves up Middle Eastern dishes in massive portions. With plenty of dietary options, Pita House will treat you to heaping plates of shawarma, gyro, lentil or rice pilaf, falafel, kababs and more.
Their meals average around $8 (kabab plates go up to $14), but the portion sizes are big enough for you to eat half and save the rest for a rainy day. Note that Pita House only accepts cash and checks.
Sacha’s
Website: sachascafe.com
Monday: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
Tuesday–Thursday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Sacha’s is another international entry on our list, only they serve up recipes from south of the border. Delicious authentic Colombian combinations make up their generous menu, alongside some North American favorites like burgers, fries, loaded hot dogs and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Test your palate on patacones (fried plantains), arepas (cornmeal patties), tortas (Mexican sandwiches), hogao (Colombian tomato and onion sauce), and other incredible combinations.
Most meals are under $10 and are big enough to save half for later.
Wings on the Run
Website: wingsontherun.net
Tuesday: 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
Wednesday–Saturday: 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
Sunday–Monday: Closed
Wings on the Run is a great place to get chicken wings, but there’s more to their menu than that. Order your wings by count (6-count is $7.49) and select from a long list of flavoring and sauce options. You can also order combos ($9.99) that bundle your choice of a side and a drink with a chicken sandwich or wrap, fried fish, fried shrimp or a hot dog. They’ve also got a selection of fresh salads and a list of fried munchable favorites, like fried mushrooms, breaded zucchini slices and mozzarella sticks.
Rounded out with a constantly rotating menu of homemade dessert options, this all-American eatery offers a variety of affordable, portable meals, making it a great choice for a Greenville budget dinner.
Northgate Soda Shop
Website: northgatesodashop.com
Monday–Friday: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Northgate Soda Shop is a retro diner in downtown Greenville that’s been serving up burgers, malts and shakes since 1947. A step into the Soda Shop is a step back in time. Styled like a ’50s soda shop, the restaurant does its best to preserve the aesthetic of the decade, ensuring an authentic vintage experience.
Their menu includes classic diner staples like burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches alongside their list of soda shop classics — malts, floats, sundaes and handspun milkshakes. And while they couldn’t keep vintage prices — in the 1950s, a milkshake might cost as little as 50¢ — they have kept their prices accommodatingly low, with their most expensive menu item priced at around $8.
Green Tomato Buffet
Website: greentomatogreenville.com
Monday–Thursday: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Sunday: 10:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
The Green Tomato Buffet lets you pay per plate, making it an excellent choice for big appetites and lean wallets. Located out on Woodruff Road, Green Tomato Buffet is a locally owned and operated all-you-can-eat buffet that follows a meat and veggie format, including a full dessert and salad bar. Go to Green Tomato for classic southern dishes like fried okra, Salisbury steak, black-eyed peas, collard greens, and of course fried green tomatoes.
Their Monday through Thursday price is $10.99, $11.99 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $13 on Sunday. They also let you order takeout at $5.99 per pound of food (or $6.99 if all you want to take home is a meat selection). Drinks are $2.25 each.
Catch up on our Around Greenville series to see more of what our city and the area around it has to offer.
